Healthy, not skinny(17 Aug 2018)

Healthy, not skinny

As we focus on Women's Month, we were joined by our resident doctor, Dr Darren Green, and international curve model and life coach, Marciel Hopkins to discuss body image and why so many women are focussing on the wrong things.

Marciel knows all about trying to be the perfect shape. In 2016 she entered the Miss SA pageant and put her body under immense pressure to lose weight and stay in shape.

"My body was under a lot of pressure and it didn't really want to stary there. I was in a constant battle with myself, with food, any my body," said Marciel.

Two months after her pageant journey, she was back in her size 14 body, but the whole process knocked her psychologically.

"It wasn't an easy process, it was a long, hard journey to really grow into self-love and body acceptance again," she said.

Dr Darren Green explains that perceptions of community can influence your internal voice to focus on weaknesses and flaws rather than your own natural beauty.

After two years, Marciel now has a passion for sharing a message of loving yourself, being positive and focussing on being healthy rather than skinny. Watch more: